DMN: Breaking down the Cowboys' short-yardage plays this season

[WoodysGirl]

ByBrandon George / Reporter
bgeorge@dallasnews.com | Bio

10:56 AM on Wed., Oct. 12, 2011 | Permalink

IRVING -- Teams that win consistently in the NFL can run the football when they have to the most, and that certainly includes picking up first downs in short-yardage situations.

The Cowboys have continued to struggle running the ball in short-yardage situations this season.

The Cowboys have had 31 plays through their first four games in which they've needed to pick up three yards or less. They've passed 13 times and run the ball 18 times.

Read the rest: http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/breaking-down-the-cowboys-shor.html

[burmafrd]

all those that claim we don't need a running game to win it all are whistling past the graveyard. You look at the teams that win the SB and 95% of them have at least a solid running game. And above that, it is a lot better to be able to get that yard on the ground when you need it then not to. And above that, having that ability forces the D to respect it; right now do you think any team we play worries that on 4th and 1 or 3rd and 1 that we can get it on the ground? I sure wouldn't.

[stasheroo]

all those that claim we don't need a running game to win it all are whistling past the graveyard. You look at the teams that win the SB and 95% of them have at least a solid running game. And above that, it is a lot better to be able to get that yard on the ground when you need it then not to. And above that, having that ability forces the D to respect it; right now do you think any team we play worries that on 4th and 1 or 3rd and 1 that we can get it on the ground? I sure wouldn't.

Given the fact that we don't even try to run it on 3rd down regardless of the distance, I wouldn't worry about it if I were an opposing defense.

In reviewing the play-by-play for the Detroit game, we ran one time on 3rd down. A 3rd and 1 play where Choice gained 17 yards.

The rest of the game, it didn't matter. 3rd and 4? Pass. 3rd and 3? Pass. Even 3rd and 2 the answer was clear. The Cowboys were passing.

That's a scary tendency in my book and one that does opposing defenses a huge favor.

A tendency that must be changed.

[Wolfpack]

Given the fact that we don't even try to run it on 3rd down regardless of the distance, I wouldn't worry about it if I were an opposing defense.

In reviewing the play-by-play for the Detroit game, we ran one time on 3rd down. A 3rd and 1 play where Choice gained 17 yards.

The rest of the game, it didn't matter. 3rd and 4? Pass. 3rd and 3? Pass. Even 3rd and 2 the answer was clear. The Cowboys were passing.

That's a scary tendency in my book and one that does opposing defenses a huge favor.

A tendency that must be changed.

Its even worse when you do it from a passing formation such as the shotgun.

[Risen Star]

Its even worse when you do it from a passing formation such as the shotgun.

We have to use trickery to run the ball at all.

Jason Garrett's no dummy. He doesn't just line up and put a hat on a hat in the run game because he knows he can't. He doesn't have the players up front. So you get our complete failure running the ball in short yardage.

[dooomsday]

all those that claim we don't need a running game to win it all are whistling past the graveyard. You look at the teams that win the SB and 95% of them have at least a solid running game. And above that, it is a lot better to be able to get that yard on the ground when you need it then not to. And above that, having that ability forces the D to respect it; right now do you think any team we play worries that on 4th and 1 or 3rd and 1 that we can get it on the ground? I sure wouldn't.


Is this a joke? GB just won the SB with the 24th ranked rushing attack. And their SB starter didnt play in the NFL until week 9 or something.

Pitts? Willie Parker? In the 20s.

Indy? In the 20s.

Few running teams and almost no top RBs have won recently.
It may have been 95% before the advent of the forward pass. But no longer. The last "running" team was the Gints. 2 average backs at that time. And they won thru the air.

[ChldsPlay]

What I want to see is the formations that were used on these plays. I bet you more often than not the pass plays were shotgun and the run plays were 3 TE type formations. Basically formations where it's obvious what it's going to be and have very little flexibility as to what they can do, particularly on the running downs around the goal line.